Ex-lawmaker Kuo Wen-cheng faces corruption charges

Former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Kuo Wen-cheng (郭玟成) was indicted yesterday on charges of accepting money from a bus company in return for lobbying for the firm.

Prosecutors asked the Taipei District Court for a seven-year prison sentence for Kuo.

They said that in 2006, the National Freeway Bureau found Solar Bus operating a number of routes that were not approved by the bureau and suspended the company’s toll privileges.

Prosecutors said the bus company asked Kuo to lobby for it to restore the firm’s preferential toll discounts.

Kuo, who was then a member of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, filed a complaint with the bureau and lobbied on the bus company’s behalf, prosecutors said, adding that the bureau agreed to restore Solar Bus’ toll privileges.

Prosecutors alleged Solar Bus president Lin Yi-feng (林義風) gave Kuo NT$2 million (US$66,800) when the then-lawmaker ran for re-election in 2007.

Kuo said the money was a political donation and therefore legal, but prosecutors said that based on the Legislators’ Conduct Act (立法委員行為法), lawmakers cannot accept money in exchange for lobbying services.

Kuo yesterday reiterated that the money he received was clean and legal.